Cadaverous Love

Chapter Twenty

"Pony," Dallas says, laying down next to me again, "I dare you to pull down your shorts on the dock- in front of everybody, man."

"Oh- I don't know, Dal."

"Come on, man. You have to it's a dare." Ponyboy turns to Morgan and then looks back at me,

"Y'all can't look, okay?" Morgan nods.

"Oh darn it!" She says jokingly, but I think there is a certain amount of seriousness in it. We both turn to face the woods as Ponyboy stands up and walks over to the dock.

"You're really tempted to look, aren't you?" I ask quietly. Nodding slightly she says

"Maybe."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"PULL YOUR SHORTS UP."

"OH MY GOSH, PONYBOY."

"PUT IT AWAY! PUT IT AWAY!"

"POOONNNYYYBOOOYY!"

Morgan and I continue facing the other way but we both have tears rolling down our faces from laughing so hard.

"Put it away! Put it away!" I mimic.

"You happy now, Dal?" Ponyboy says racing over, we turn back to face them.

"Damn, I just didn't realize you were so big." Dallas says, Pony burns a bright red and looks at Morgan, his mouth open, speechless. Then, he winks.

"Oooooou." I say laughing a little.

"Aye, but I got you beat." Dallas says.

"Doubt it."

"Oh really? You need proof?" Ponyboy turns his head away.

"No! No! That's okay- it's okay."

Dal chuckles.

"That's what I thought."

--

Vicky, Darry, Two, Steve and Sodapop went to the store to grab something to make. They've been gone for an hour or so- they should be back home soon. Before Darry left he made us all change back into our clothes. I just grabbed the nearest pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. Dallas lays sprawled out on the couch in just a pair of dirty jeans; Morgan and Ponyboy lay on a blanket in the middle of the floor deciding which puzzle piece pgoes where; Johnny sits against the wall smoking.

"Hey, John, why don't you help us?" Morgan asks. It catches Johnny a little of guard.

"Huh?"

"You want to help us finish the puzzle?"

"Oh- sure. You just called me John- that's just weird." Morgan laughs a little and slips on Ponyboy's blue sweater; that is way too small on him, but fits her just fine. She puts the sleeve up to her nose.

"Smells like you."

"Well, duh." Pony laughs, examining a puzzle piece.

I move over to the couch and crawl on top of Dallas's back.

"What are you doing?"

"You gave me no choice." I say quietly. He chuckles softly, making me giggle. I make a small trail of kisses on his shoulder.

"Ewwwweeee." Morgan says jokingly, "and here I was thinking that you guys were supposed to be keeping close eye on us." We all laugh.

"It was pretty stupid of Darry to put the oldest in charge." I say with a sigh.

"What's the supposed to mean?" Dallas says, his voice muffled by the couch.

"You guys aren't exactly the oldest mentally." Ponyboy says.